Healthy Birthday Cake
The BEST healthy birthday cake you'll ever make that's naturally sweetened and easily made dairy free. This gluten free birthday cake recipe is filled with fun sprinkles and topped with an incredible, vegan-friendly vanilla buttercream. The perfect way to celebrate birthdays and holidays!
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients:
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup tahini
- 1/2 cup melted and cooled coconut oil (or sub ghee or melted butter)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups packed super fine blanched almond flour (I use bob’s red mill)
- ½ cup coconut flour (do not pack)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sprinkles
- For the frosting:
- 1 cup salted butter (or vegan buttery stick such as Earth Balance), at room temperature
- 2 1/2 -3 cups powdered sugar **
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Optional: 2 teaspoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1/3 cup sprinkles
Instructions
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Line the bottom of three 6-inch round cake pans or two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper rounds. Spray parchment paper and sides of the pans with nonstick cooking spray. YOU SHOULD USE PARCHMENT PAPER or the cake is likely to stick. Please do not forget.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup and tahini until smooth. Slowly whisk in the melted and cooled coconut oil until it’s well incorporated. Then stir in the vanilla and almond extract. The mixture should be smooth and well combined. Note: It is important that your eggs are at room temperature otherwise the coconut oil will coagulate. The coconut oil should be melted but not HOT, but rather closer to room temp.
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In a separate bowl, whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula until smooth. Next, stir in the sprinkles until combined into the batter.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide batter evenly between pans and spread out with a spatula to smooth the tops. Allow batter to sit in pans while your oven preheats. Bake for 18-28 minutes in the two 8-inch pans or 25-35 minutes for three 6-inch pans. Cakes are done when a tester comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting or removing from the pans. The cake should be room temperature when you frost it. This is very important. Cakes can be made a day ahead if you’d like.
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Make your frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the softened butter (or vegan butter) and whip on high until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and beat for 2-3 minutes more. You may need to add in a teaspoon or two of milk to thin the frosting out, but it depends on how you like it. Finally fold the sprinkles into the frosting with a spatula so that they don’t break up.
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Now it’s time to frost the cake: place about 1-2 tablespoons down onto the cake stand and spread out. Invert cake onto the cake stand, add about ½ heaping cup frosting between each layer, repeat with each cake, then frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. If the cake is slightly ‘naked’ on the outside, that’s okay, it’s going to be delicious! Sprinkle with some additional sprinkles on top to make it look pretty.
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Cake will stay good at room temp for a day or so, then should be placed in the fridge. Cake will stay good for 5-7 days in the fridge, and should be covered to ensure freshness.
Recipe Notes
To store: I recommend storing the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze: feel free to freeze this birthday cake either frosted or unfrosted for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing it unfrosted and in individual layers for best results. First, wrap each individual layer in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and then place the cakes in a zip-top freezer bag. When you’re ready to serve it, simply thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then let the cake come to room temperature before serving.